Sawbridgeworth Town Council asked to take over maintenance of Great St Mary's churchyard over plan to discontinue burials

The upkeep of Great St Mary’s churchyard is likely to fall to Sawbridgeworth Town Council after an application was put forward to transfer responsibility of its maintenance.

Town clerk Chris Hunt told a full council meeting on Monday an application had been made from Sawbridgeworth Parochial Church Council secretary Angela Kenny because there was no more space for burials there.

The application can be made through the provisions of the Local Government Act 1972 if an order is made to discontinue burials in a churchyard.

The proposed transfer would take place in April 2024 as the legislation states councils must be given at least 12 months’ notice.

Mr Hunt told councillors initially they were simply being asked to accept the reasoning that there was no space for new graves, but said if the transfer was agreed maintenance and administration of the churchyard would fall to the town council.

He said: “The only other option is to refuse it [the transfer] and it will be passed to East Herts [Council].”

Cllr Angela Alder told colleagues volunteers were currently maintaining the churchyard.

“It is a labour of love, “ she said. “And it is now becoming a difficult task.”

Mr Hunt added that besides the upkeep of the graves and the grass around them there were paths to keep clear, litter bins to empty and 108 trees to be cared for.

Great St Mary’s Church was built from flintstone and mortar on the site in Church Street that is believed to go back to pre-Domesday times - the 11th century.

The churchyard contains a memorial to those who died in the two Great Wars. Among the gravestones to be found are that of Joseph Vick, who was one of the few survivors of the valiant 600 who “rode into the valley of death” in the famous Charge of the Light Brigade in the Crimean War in 1854.